Following its recent licensing deal with the iconic Vespa Italian scooter brand and partnership with luxury fashion house Dior, PreschoolNews.net spoke to Inglesina’s ceo Luca Tomasi to find about more about the value of brand partnerships.
Can you tell us about the brand partnership with Vespa and how it came about?
“Vespa and Dior are different stories. A couple of years ago, we were contacted by Piaggio, Vespa’s parent company. The licensing side of the company is very significant and they were looking for a partner to extend their portfolio into the baby stroller segment. We were a little reluctant initially, as we feared licensing would take precious time and resources from our main brand. But things change and we liked the idea of bringing together the two Italian legends, Vespa and Inglesina.”
And what’s the story behind the Dior collaboration?
“The Dior partnership follows in the footsteps of the Inglesina-Fendi partnership which we originally launched almost 10 years ago, creating a very successful line of strollers. About 18 months ago LVMH – which owns Dior – asked us to replicate the Fendi partnership for Dior.
When working with luxury fashion houses, it is vital that we can offer technical capabilities, flexibility, state of the art quality and functionality. Being made in Italy is also essential! Most importantly, LVMH needed to work with a brand with a trusted history and good reputation. Both Fendi and Dior now proudly show our brand logo next to theirs in the product listings.”
How did you decide which product to launch within the collaboration?
“Instead of having a range of products, we decided to concentrate and to develop one stroller only. The choice went to our latest Cabin stroller, which matches the Vespa values of freedom and fun. The style is classy, with a touch of colour and features the famous red and blue Vespa circle. The initial reactions have been very good and we expect more excitement as the product reaches the coasts of California, and Asia.”
Will this be the only product you will launch with Vespa, or are more in the pipeline?
“With Vespa, in the short term it is likely we will launch new styles and colours on the same product and maybe for the future the range might be expanded, but we don’t have plans for the moment.”
Can you tell us more about the product available within the Dior collaboration?
“With Dior, we are happy that the collaboration started with a pram (not just a stroller). The brand shares our philosophy of granting the baby the best in term of health and wellbeing. With this regard, the carrycot is equipped with our patented Welcome Pad and the inner materials are all made of natural bamboo fibre, exactly like our prams. So it is not just a ‘logo’, it’s about Dior putting its name on a product that is the state of the art in regard to comfort and functionality.”
What do you believe brands can gain from licensing partnerships such as these?
“First of all, some sales! We might think these partnerships are more useful for the brand image, reputation, perception, so on, but at the end of the day they must generate some economic results. We are not speaking about big numbers, but we believe that for all brands there will be a respectful return. For us, it is definitively a good opportunity to learn how certain dymanics work.
We also have the opportunity to research and develop solutions, details and materials, that one day could be used across the regular Inglesina range. Finally, these collaborations are beneficial to the whole organisation as part od an incremental motivational boost. They make you feel part of a super-team. All of our workers can saythat they are part of the team behind the Dior stroller – that’s priceless.”
When will these launches be available at retail?
“Dior is already available in Europe and in UK, only through Baby Dior retail shops and selected retailers. Vespa distribution will be managed by us and our team, so it will be available more or less in the same stores where Inglesina is present, from October 2020.”
